Exactas, Superfectas and Trifectas: Everything You Need to Know

With the Kentucky Derby approaching, newcomers are embracing the world of horse racing betting as they look to get ahead of the game.

Betting on the sport is exceptionally popular among the experts throughout the year, as there are constant opportunities to get more bang for your buck when making selections. However, one of the most popular betting options for more experienced gamblers comes in the form of the Exotics.

These are tailored toward the bettors that will do extreme amounts of research, but they can be hugely lucrative betting avenues. But, what are the Exotics, and what does each entail in order to get a winner?

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What Are Exotics?

In horse racing, there are two main types of bets available. The first of which is the single-horse wager, where you will place your stake on a runner and returns will be rewarded if your selection is a winner.

Alternatively, Exotics can be explored. This type of bet enables gamblers to select multiple horses and combine them into one single-race bet with returns awarded should they finish in the correct order.

The Exotics differ slightly, with some needing more runners to finish in correct positions.

The main advantage of the top of the bet is the fact that they can be incredibly highly rewarded, as returns can be massive if you land an Exacta or Trifecta with horses at bigger prices. However, it is equally as risky, as just one mistake could see your bet being resulted in a losing selection.

You can read more about exotic wagers here: twinspires.com/edge/racing/wagering/best-bets/

What is an Exacta?

Probably the easiest, but still difficult, options when placing an Exotic can be found in the form of Exactas. Here, the bettor will select two horses and select the finishing order in which they will finish.

This is the most popular of the Exotic options with newcomers, as it is also the easiest to understand. It also requires the bettor to select the first two finishers, while other options will require greater detail to get winning returns.

What is a Trifecta?

As mentioned previously, the types of Exotics become more challenging with the more runners that you will need to correctly predict.

Therefore, the Trifecta is more challenging than an Exacta to land, as the bettor will need to correctly predict the horses that finish first, second, and third in the correct order. As the odds of achieving this are higher, the returns will be increased if you’re able to correctly predict the finish order.

What is a Superfecta?

The most difficult of the Exotics to land comes in the form of the Superfecta. Extensive research must be completed before putting down selections in this market, as you will need to assess all possible pace angles and how they could play out to aid other horses in the field.

To land this type of bet, the bettor must correctly predict the horses that finish first, second, third, and fourth in the correct order. As you would imagine, landing a Superfecta could be life-changing depending on the runners and the prices of the selections included.

Are There Alternatives?

Landing any of the Exotics can be challenging, regardless of your experience level when betting on horse racing. Therefore, there are some slight different options in the forms of ‘Boxes’. For example, if you were to place an Exacta Box, you can include at least three horses, and the runners selected would need at least two in the top two finishing positions in order to be a winner.

However, the more selections selected when making Boxes will increase the stake that you will need to put down on the wager.

The minimum stake when making this type of bet is usually $1, but it could be double that if you’re looking to make the wager on track. A three-horse boxed Exacta will cost around $6 for a $1 stake, as there will be six possible combinations that could be winners.

It is a slightly more expensive alternative to the Exotics, but it does offer an insurance should you be torn between a couple of runners for your selection.

How Lucrative Are These Bets?

Landing an Exotic could lead to life changing money being won. However, the returns will largely depend on the odds of the runners that finish in the required positions.

One of the biggest payouts came at the 2005 Kentucky Derby, as one lucky gambler walked out with a staggering $864,000 from a $1 superfecta. However, landing the biggest returns possible can often be extremely rare, as racing can be an unpredictable sport, meaning that it is never easy to predict the first two or three runners home.

Even the odds can be upset in the biggest races, meaning that favourites that underperform can often let down the Exotics for even the most experienced bettors.

I (AKA CatBurg) have a lifelong passion for sports, especially football and basketball. I enjoy the thrill and excitement of sports betting and everything in between. My teams are (Packers #GoPackGo) and who I am betting on!